


The Life that Seven Never Had

by hello33willoTheWisp845



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-04 23:54:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16356701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hello33willoTheWisp845/pseuds/hello33willoTheWisp845
Summary: Seven awakes in the hospital and faces a completely new life.





	1. The Case

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank BaeLanna very much. She helped to translate my German text into English. Many Thanks.

Seven was swimming in the dark. She drifted and enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness. She loved the state she was always in when she regenerated in her alcove.

But when a sudden pulling and tugging hit her body, panic rose in her. It had never happened before whilst she was regenerating.

Before she could finish the regeneration cycle, her body was caught by a whirlpool, and she was pulled into a deep, black hole.

Everything happened so fast that she had no opportunity to adapt to the new situation. As fast as it started, it ended, quickly and with a hard impact.

Her body crashed onto a hard surface, crumbling, and Seven almost instantly lost consciousness.


	2. In the Hospital

Slowly, Seven's eyes opened. She blinked as the brightness struck her eyes, and she quickly closed them again.

One hand laid gently on her cheek and caressed it. She then felt herself receiving a kiss on the forehead and a well-known voice spoke to her, "Darling, please wake up."

Seven cautiously opened her eyes again and the captain's face floated above her. The captain gave her a worried look, then smiled down at Seven.

"Hello darling, please never scare me like that again. I was terribly worried about you."

Seven was about to ask what had happened when she realized how dry her throat was and so only drowsiness left her mouth. The captain quickly left her and appeared a moment later with a glass of water. She gently lifted Seven's head and put the glass to her lips.

"Slowly, darling. Take small sips only, otherwise you'll choke," she gently warned Seven.

Seven drew small sips of water into her mouth and swallowed them slowly. The cold fluid spread throughout her parched throat and brought her relief.

After Seven took a few more sips of water, the captain put the glass on a table besides the bed. "Better?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes, thank you. What happened?" Seven asked in a hoarse, scratchy voice and tried to sit up.

"No, continue to relax.. You cannot strain yourself yet…" the captain said, gently pushing Seven back onto the bed.  
Seven looked around the room in confusion. She was not, as she had initially thought, in the infirmary, but in a room completely unknown to her. Through the window, she could not see the usual passing stars, but saw sunlight shining through the curtains.

The captain looked strange, too. Instead of her uniform, she was wearing leisurewear and wore her hair tied together in a braid.

The captain continued to look at her anxiously, pulling the blanket neatly over Seven's body, then stroking her hand gently over Seven's cheek.

Meanwhile, a man came into the room and greeted the two women. He took a small torch and began to examine Seven's eyes.

"Hello, I am Dr. Mayer, how are you? Does your head still hurt?" He asked Seven anxiously.

Only now did Seven notice that her head was really hurting, so she nodded her head.

"Do you know what day it is today?" asked Dr Mayer.

Seven tried to remember the exact stardate, but suddenly it was hard. She shook her head sheepishly, which of course caused even more pain in her head.

"Do you know your name?"

"Yes," she croaked in her hoarse voice, "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, but you can call me Seven"

Dr. Mayer and the captain looked at her in surprise. Both exchanged a worried look and then turned back to Seven.

"What do you remember?"

"I was on an away mission, which turned out to be very dangerous. I was injured, but the doctor was able to heal me and he sent me to Cargo Bay 2 so that I could regenerate to promote the healing process." Seven answered in a low, broken voice.

The Captain frowned and saw Dr. Mayer in thought. "What does that mean?" the Captain then asked anxiously.

Dr. Mayer looked at her "I do not know yet, but I think we should do some tests and then we'll know more. Until then, you should not worry unnecessarily Mrs. Janeway."

Then he left the room and a nurse appeared.

She took Seven's wrist in her hand and measured her pulse, then put a strange thing in Seven's mouth and told her to leave it there. Seven obeyed, but looked around fearfully.

The captain stood nearby and saw that Seven was uncomfortable, so she put her hands in hers and tenderly stroked the back of Seven's hands with her thumbs.

Only then did Seven realize that something was wrong with her hand. Worried, she looked over at it.

Startled, she held her breath; her Borg enhancements were gone, instead her hand looked completely human.

She pulled the strange object out of her mouth and turned to the captain.

"Captain, I am not working properly" But the captain looked at her with only fear and frowned worriedly.

"Shh darling, everything is alright, you're in good hands here. Dr. Mayer will find out what's wrong and then he will fix it. Okay? "She promised Seven gently.

"I ... .. why am I here, and where am I?" Asked Seven scared and agitated.

"Shhh darling you have to calm down. Please…."

"Computer, quit program". Nothing happened. Seven tried the command again, but still nothing happened. She wanted to click on her communicator and call security, but there was no communicator attached to her left breast. Gradually, she began to panic. She quickly tried to leave the bed, but the captain and the nurse stopped her.

Desperately, she tried to fight for her freedom, but she could not muster the necessary strength. Exhausted, she sank back into the pillow.

Meanwhile, the nurse had pressed a button on the bed which triggered an emergency call. A short time later, Dr. Mayer and some of the care staff ran into the room and tried to get an overview of the situation.

"Doctor, the patient has had an attack of hysterics," reported the nurse when she saw the doctor.

Dr. Mayer pulled a syringe from his coat and the nurses approached Seven, holding her on either side. Seven tried to fight back, but the attendants were too strong and so she could only watch in horror as the doctor put the syringe into her arm.

After Dr. Mayer had tranquillised Seven, her eyelids became so heavy that she could no longer hold them open. Her body went limp and the carers let her go. But she could still hear what was happening around her.

Dr. Mayer turned to the captain. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Janeway, but we had to sedate your wife. She will sleep for a while now, so we can continue some tests. I suggest that you go home and come back later"

Kathryn nodded. She took her bag and jacket from the chair next to the bed, then looked again at her sedated wife and kissed her forehead. Dejected, she left the hospital room.

*************

When Kathryn returned in the evening, Dr. Mayer saw her in his office.

"Mrs. Janeway, it seems that your wife is very confused. When the anesthesia receded earlier, she panicked again and tried to get out of bed. Unfortunately we had to strap her down so that she would not hurt herself. After she had calmed down, we asked Dr. Behrend, a psychologist, to talk to her. Dr. Behrend found out that your wife cannot remember her previous life, but that she only remembers an alternative concept of life. In this, she lives on a spaceship called Voyager and she is a "Borg" drone that was assimilated as a child by the Borg. As a result, she lived with the Borg for 18 years, until Captain Kathryn Janeway freed her from the collective and gave her back her humanity. I have a detailed report here that also details other things, aliens, away missions, crew members, Starfleet, etc. It's a very impressive report. But also very scary."

Kathryn looked at the doctor in disbelief. "Are you telling me that my wife has gone crazy?" Kathryn asked, horrified.

The doctor shook his head. "No, Mrs. Janeway, I do not want to say that. What I meant is that she may be suffering from retrograde amnesia. This means that she cannot remember the life she lived before the accident. This can be permanent, but in most cases, it is only temporary and the affected person can, after a certain time, remember again what happened before the accident. It comes back in flashbacks. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece, pieces of memory come back and at some point you have enough to put together an entire picture."

He looked down at his hands which were folded and then looked up again. "But in general, I'd like to point out that this process will be very stressful, frustrating and distressing to the affected person. Your wife will need all your love, strength and care to get through this difficult time."

Kathryn nodded her head. "But what about this alternative life concept that reminds her of what her previous life is supposed to have been? How does that fit into the picture?"

The doctor scratched his head and looked at Kathryn in embarrassment. "Well, to be honest, it has never happened before that an affected person has had such a mature memory of their past. This represents for me, as well as for Dr. Behrend, a big puzzle. We do not know how to classify it. Therefore, we think that it is best to ignore this alternative concept of life and focus on real memories."

Kathryn looked at the doctor in amazement, but since she had no better ideas either, she nodded to the doctor.

"Good. Mrs. Janeway, I suggest you do not visit your wife today, but come by tomorrow morning and we'll see if you can take her home with you. It's always good for those affected to be in a familiar environment, so memories come back quicker and easier. Can you consider taking your wife home tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course. And anyway, what would I have to consider?"

"Well, since you ask, first of all it is important to let your wife set her own pace. There will certainly be many situations where you feel frustrated and as frightened or panicked as today. Emotional stress could occur as a result. It is also possible that your entire life changes as a result. She no longer remembers you or anyone from your family. For her, you are all strangers, except you, Mrs. Janeway. For your wife, you are Captain Kathryn Janeway, who commands the spaceship Voyager. On the one hand, that is good, because at least you are still a known person for your wife. On the other hand, your wife doesn't see you as someone she is married to. You should therefore be prepared for the fact that your life together, as it was before the accident, may never be the same again. Many people suffering from amnesia have left their families and started a whole new life because they could no longer find a common ground with the people from their previous lives. That's what you and your family need to be prepared for."

Kathryn tried to blink away the tears that stung her eyes. She did not quite succeed. Ashamed, she turned her head away from the doctor and tried to regain control.

"Mrs. Janeway, I did not mean to alarm you, I just wanted you to know what you might have to face. Dr. Behrend will be ready to talk to you and your wife whenever you wish. I have already arranged an appointment for you tomorrow with her. As soon as a situation arises that you cannot handle yourself, make an appointment with her and she will help you both. Otherwise, I'd like to see you in a few days for a follow-up." Dr. Mayer stood up and offered Kathryn his hand goodbye.


	3. The Return Home

"Mrs. Janeway, it's nice to meet you, please take a seat" Dr. Behrend said, pointing to a chair in front of her desk, as she herself sat down behind the desk.

"Dr. Behrend, I am glad to meet you as well. Dr. Mayer told me I was to meet with you before I could pick up my wife."

"Yes, I asked him to do this for you. I talked to your wife for about an hour yesterday and found it very interesting. First of all, I would like to assure you that during the interview, I did not have the impression that your wife was crazy. She was eager to answer my questions correctly. But I think it may be possible she may have developed schizophrenia or psychosis from the accident. I would like to schedule more appointments with her to help determine how this alternate life story fits into the big picture in order to solve this mystery."

Kathryn nodded at the doctor.

"I would then like to make an appointment with you for the next follow-up. I see here in the documents that the follow-up should be in 3 days. Would that be okay for you?"

Kathryn nodded again. "How should I react if my wife continues to cling to her fantasy world? Dr. Mayer said I should ignore it. But I do not think that makes sense. I mean, there must be a reason why she remembers a past that never happened. Or else what?"

"Yes, that's a good question, I do not quite share Dr. Mayer's attitude, rather, I would like you to go along with this fantasy world as you monitor how your wife is doing. Whether she still gets along well in everyday life and whether her real memories are slowly coming back. Therefore, it would be good if you would write down some bullet points, which we can go through at the next appointment. Otherwise, I would say, do try to create normal as possible, stress-free days so that your wife is not unnecessarily exposed to stressful situations."

"Thank you, Dr. Behrend, and goodbye."

 

************

Kathryn walked down the hospital corridor with a bag full of clothes. She stopped at the reception.

The nurse immediately recognized her and waved her over.

Kathryn then went to her wife's room, but before she opened the door, she tried to collect herself briefly and put a smile on her face. After she was sure that her smile was real, she opened the door and looked headfirst into the room.

Dr. Mayer was examining her wife for one last time as he heard her come in. He glanced up at her and greeted her.

"Mrs. Janeway, it is nice that you are already here, my patient has been waiting for you impatiently. My examination today has been positive, so you can take your wife home with you. I'll quickly issue the discharge papers." 

With that, he left the room, leaving the two women alone.

Kathryn stood, uncertainly, in the room and looked sheepishly at her wife. Seven looked at her uncertainly.

"Captain? Why does the doctor keep calling you my wife?" asked Seven curiously.

Kathryn looked at her in surprise, hadn't anyone told her who she was?

"Hm ... well, he's calling me your wife, because I am."

Then she went to her wife and gave her a peck on her cheek. "Darling, I am not your captain, but your wife. Can you accept that?" She asked anxiously.

Seven thought for a moment, "Captain, I do not understand why we have to pretend to be married."

"Darling, we're not pretending to be married, we are married. I know that's hard to understand for you because you do not remember. Dr. Mayer says that you are most likely suffering from retrograde amnesia."

Seven thought for a moment about what she had just heard, then looked at Kathryn in confusion.

"What has happened for me to be suffering from retrograde amnesia? If you are not my captain, why do you look like her? Where are my implants? Why am I here? Where's Voyager?" Seven asked her in frustration.

"Shhh, Darling please, you need to calm down. Come take a deep breath and relax. I will explain everything to you then. Yes?"

Kathryn gently pushed Seven back into the pillow and calmly put her hand on her wife's shoulder, rubbing gently over it.

Seven tried to relax and looked at her curiously.

"I know it makes you very worried and scared, but trust me. I want you to be fine Yes?"

Seven nodded her head and sighed deeply.

"So, what happened? You crashed your horse on an outing with a small vacation group, your head was thrown against a rock and you had a serious head injury. You were taken to the hospital by a rescue helicopter, where you were operated on. You have been laying in a coma for the last 4 days. Why do I look like your captain? Hm ... It is more likely that your captain looks like me. Darling, neither Voyager, nor your captain, nor anything else you have mentioned exists, they are just a fantasy you cobbled together in your head. Why, I do not know, but it also explains why you do not have any implants. Because none of it is real. This is the reality, you and I are married and we have known each other for 7 years. We have been married for 5 years, we live on a holiday ranch and so far, we have always been very happy."

There were tears in Kathryn's eyes and they rolled down her cheek. Seven looked at her in dismay.

"Captain, I'm sorry, I did not want to cause you any pain." Seven tried to apologize.

Kathryn looked at her in surprise. "Oh darling, haven't you heard me? I am not your captain, I am your wife! You do not have to apologize to me, you did not do anything wrong."

"Yes I have, I have hurt you, you are crying. I apologize." Seven lowered her head remorsefully.

Kathryn looked at her and suddenly felt even worse. "Please just call me Kathy, that will make amends. Yes?"

Seven thought for a moment, "Acceptable" Seven answered cheerfully.

"Okay, let's get you dressed and drive home, okay?" Kathryn asked.

Seven looked at her and was unsure, Kathryn was no longer her captain and she claimed that neither her life on Voyager, nor life with the Borg existed. Could she really trust this woman, who looked like her captain, and drive home with her? But on the other hand, what other option was there?

"What happens if I do not want to go home with you?" She asked.

Kathryn looked at her startled. She never thought her wife would not want to come home with her. She opened her mouth, but then closed it again. She was just speechless and desperate. Yes, what would happen if her Annika did not come home?

"Darling, I do not know what would happen then. I think you would stay here in the hospital. Maybe you would move to another ward. Maybe you would stay here for so long that you would be ready to come home with me. I dont know. I didn't think about it. I thought you would have liked to come with me."

Seven did not like the option of staying in the hospital.

"I'll come with you, I do not want to stay here any longer."

Kathryn was so relieved to hear that answer, she smiled happily at her wife. 

"Darling, I'm so glad you want to come home." she then gave her a peck on the forehead.

However, she immediately noticed how her wife stiffened and therefore resigned. 

"I'm sorry, it's just a thing that comes involuntarily. Tell me, would you rather me call you Annika instead of darling?" She asked worriedly.

Seven frowned "No, it does not bother me that you say darling to me. It makes me feel good. But I do not want to be called Annika, since the Borg have assimilated me, she does not exist anymore. I am Seven of Nine. Please call me Seven." asked Seven politely.

Kathryn frowned when her wife told her about the Borg, but okay, if that's what she wants, it's Seven and not Annika anymore.

"Okay, agreed. Come on, we'll dress you now." Then she helped Seven lift her legs out of bed and helped her get up. It turned out that she was still very shaky on her legs, so Kathryn put her right back on the bed.

"Slowly, darling, you're still pretty weak. Come on, let's put on your panties and then the rest can be done sitting down."

After taking off the hospital nightgown, Seven stared at her stomach in awe, before holding her breath in shock.

"What's the matter, darling?" Kathryn asked worriedly.

"It is broken. Why is my stomach broken? "Seven asked, upset and anxious.

Kathryn took a closer look at Seven's stomach, but could not see what was wrong with it.

"Darling, please calm down, what do you mean?" She asked softly.

Seven pointed at her navel. "There's a hole. Why do I have a hole there?"

Kathryn looked at her in surprise and when she realized that Seven was really worried and not joking, she took her comfortingly into her arms.

"Shhh darling, that is not a hole and your stomach is not broken because of it. This is your navel, every person in the world has one." She tried to reassure Seven.

Seven broke away from the embrace "Why does everyone have a navel, do you have one too?"

Kathryn smiled at her and pulled away from Seven, then sat down on the bed next to her. 

"Well, you probably know that babies mature in their mother's abdomen and until they are born they are supplied with all the important nutrients via the umbilical cord. As soon as they are born, the umbilical cord is disconnected and tied into a knot, resulting in the belly button. Here, I also have one" Kathryn lifted her shirt and showed Seven her bare stomach and navel.

Seven looked at it curiously and then looked at her belly button again, when she realized that they looked almost alike, she looked at Kathryn, relieved.

"Thank you for explaining it to me. We can now continue to dress" she informed Kathryn.

Kathryn just shook her head in disbelief and grinned at Seven.

"Aye, aye sir." She said to Seven and pulled a bra out of the bag, giving it to Seven.

Seven looked at the strange garment and then looked questioningly at Kathryn. "What's this?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes "Darling, this is a bra, to bring your breasts into shape. Come on, I'll help you put it on." Kathryn took the bra and gestured to Seven to put her hands and arms through the bra straps, then brought Seven's breasts into the cups and locked the closure behind.

Seven looked at it strangely. "It's uncomfortable. Why must my breasts be brought into shape?"

*Oh my God, what am I talking about* thought Kathryn briefly.

"For centuries now, we women have been required to wear a bra. It keeps the breasts of each woman in shape and supports them, so they are shapely, and when you are old and gray, they do not hang down too much. So we women have always worn them and do not think much about them."

Seven thought about this information and let Kathryn help her to put on a shirt and a pair of pants.

"Who would have needed women to wear this piece of clothing, and why should breasts be supported?" Seven suddenly asked in the silence.

Kathryn looked at her, wondering how she could get out of this one.

"Darling, how about we talk about your question some other time? I'd like to give you a decent answer, but you know I cannot answer your question right now. OK?"

Seven nodded her head, and put on the socks and shoes Kathryn had brought.

Shortly after they had finished, Dr. Mayer's appeared again and held in his hands the discharge papers.

"So ladies here are the discharge papers, you still have to sign some forms and then you can go home."


	4. At the Ranch

Seven had fallen asleep on the way home, so the drive home was very quiet. Kathryn thanked God that she was safe from further questions from Seven.

As they stopped in front of the main house, Kathryn woke Seven up gently. Seven looked at her in confusion, rubbing sleep out of her eyes with her hands.

"Darling, we're here. Come on, I'll show you everything. "

Then she got out of the car, went to Seven's side and helped her out of the car. She was still weak on her feet. Kathryn wrapped her arm around Seven's waist and supported her.

"Over there are the 4 cottages. At this time only 3 are occupied, but in a few days, new guests will move into the fourth cottage. And here in the main house. We have 5 guest rooms, a dining room, and at the top is our kingdom. Is there anything which is familiar to you? "

"No," Seven replied immediately. Disappointed, Kathryn pulled a pout.

"Okay, let's go in, would you first like to meet the others, or would you like to rest?"

"Rest."

"Good, then come on, I'll show you our area, we'll have to go up the stairs. Can you do it?"

"I'm Borg," Seven replied dispassionately. Kathryn looked at her and frowned.

"And that means what?" Kathryn asked curiously.

"That means I'll make it."

Unfortunately, Seven was still too weak, so she had to rely much more on Kathryn's help than she liked.

"Here we are. Come on, sit down, I'll get you a glass of water, you look pretty pale. "

Kathryn sat Seven in a chair in the living room, which was adjacent to the open kitchen. Then she quickly went to the kitchen and got a glass of water.

Meanwhile, Seven looked around the room curiously. On the other side of the mantel she spotted pictures. Unfortunately, she was too far away to take a closer look. Regardless of her shaky legs, she stood up and was about to walk over when her legs buckled. Fortunately, Kathryn was only a few steps behind her with the water glass, so she could catch Seven before she fell.

"Slow down darling, come sit down and have something to drink first. Where did you want to go? "

Seven took the glass of water and took a sip before giving it back to Kathryn. "I discovered the pictures over there and wanted to look at them."  
"Oh, of course, I'll get them for you. One moment."

Kathryn walked over to the mantelpiece and took all four pictures in her hands, then returned to Seven. She sat down on the armchair and handed Seven the first picture.

"That's both of us when we got married. You looked so beautiful in your white wedding dress, I was so nervous and kept wondering how such a beautiful woman, like you, wanted to marry me. "Kathryn grinned as she remembered, and Seven took a closer look at the picture.

Seven was amazed to see herself in this beautiful wedding dress. Then she handed the picture back to Kathryn. Kathryn gave her the second picture.

"Those are Cassie and Luke, our kids."

"We have children?" Seven asked in surprise, "They do not look very similar to us," she remarked.

"Oh, that's because we adopted them. See, those are Beth and Lee. Beth was my best friend since childhood. I was the godmother of both her kids, and when the two were killed in a car crash three years ago, the family court ruled that we were allowed to adopt them. "Kathryn showed her the third picture on which the two parents of the children were visible.

"Cassie is 9 years old and Luke is 7 years old, and I admit that at first it was very difficult for all of us, but we came together slowly, and it is working better," Kathryn said.

“Where are the two kids?" Asked Seven.

"They're still in school, but I think they'll be back in a few hours. Rosi had promised to pick them up today so I could stay with you. "

Kathryn gave Seven the fourth and last picture "Here we see, this is all four of us on our last vacation. The children had wanted to go camping. Well, I've known since then that I'm not young enough to sleep in a tent. But fishing was fun. "

Suddenly, a dull pain drove through Seven's abdomen and she writhed, breathing heavily. Kathryn immediately put the pictures aside and looked at Seven worriedly. "Darling, what's going on?"

"I do not know, my stomach hurts. I'm not working properly, "Seven moaned a little.

"Okay, maybe it's best to lie down for a while, maybe the pain will go away. Come on, I'll take you to the bedroom. "Kathryn put her arm around Seven's waist again and helped her into the bedroom, then carefully put her to bed. With her hand, she gently pushed a few strands of hair from Seven's face and looked at her worriedly. "How are you now?"

Seven turned her eyes in pain and writhed.

Kathryn noticed something. "Darling, maybe you're hungry, so that's why your stomach hurts?"

Seven shook her head, no it certainly was not.  
"Okay, you know, if one of the kids has a stomach ache, it's sometimes because they have not used the toilet yet, or sometimes they have diarrhea, or they are hungry. When was the last time you went to the toilet? "

Seven looked at her painfully, "I'm Borg, Borg do not go to the bathroom," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Okay, so you have not been to the bathroom today?"

Seven nodded her head. Kathryn slowly built an impression of where the abdominal pain was coming from.

She carefully put her hand on Seven's lower abdomen, around where her bladder was, "Does it hurt here?"

"Yes," Seven whimpered in pain.

"Well, then I think you should definitely go to the bathroom. Come on, I'll take you to the bathroom. "She gently helped Seven to her feet and led her into the bathroom.

Once there, Seven looked at Kathryn, uncertain.

"Darling, your pain is probably because you have a full bladder and you have to sit on the toilet and have a pee."

"Have a pee?" Seven asked, frowning.

"Yeah, you sit up there and let your urine, which is in your bladder, run, and then you'll feel better." Kathryn encouraged her.

"Borg do not pee" replied Seven in disgust. She would not have a pee. Absolutely no way. No way. She was Borg, and Borg did not do that.

Kathryn sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. Then she pulled down her pants and panties and sat down in the bathroom, peeing for Seven to see how it worked.

"See, there's nothing to it. It's relatively easy. Come, now you. "Kathryn asked again.

"No, I will not follow," Seven said determinedly, but in pain.

Kathryn was at a loss, but then, after a few moments of deep thought, she remembered something.

"What would your captain do if you did not do something that she would like you to do?" She asked cautiously.

Seven looked at Kathryn in astonishment. "She would make it an order," she said softly, with tears close.

"Okay, then I'll make it a command as well. Go to the bathroom, and use it. "Kathryn said in a tone that implied that she was serious.  
Meanwhile, single tears ran down Seven's cheeks and Kathryn was incredibly sorry she had to do this to Seven. But it was necessary.

Seven slowly pulled down her pants, then her panties, and then sat anxiously on the toilet seat. She sat there for several minutes and cried silently, without anything happening.

"Darling, you have to let go and pee, I promise you it'll be better then." Kathryn tried to motivate her.

Seven sniffed and wiped her tears with her hands, "I do not know how." She wailed softly.

"Okay, I'll turn on the faucet and then it'll run automatically, you need to relax, think of a waterfall and rain and a lot of other water and then you let go, and let nature run wild. You can do that."

Seven tried desperately to relax, but did not know how, after all, she was in pain and was being forced to do something she did not want to do.

Kathryn saw how bad Seven felt, and not just because of her pain. So she went over to Seven, squatted in front of her and took Seven's hand in her's, gently stroking over it.

"Shhh darling, everything will be alright, just close your eyes and feel how I hold your hand in my hand, and how I gently stroke you"

While Kathryn spoke to Seven and continued to gently stroke her hand, Seven relaxed to the point where she could finally let go and empty her full bladder. After that she immediately felt better.

Astonished, she looked at Kathryn and Kathryn smiled happily at her.

"Do you see darling, that was not so bad right?"

Seven lowered her head in shame and shook it dejectedly.

“Come, don't hang your head, this process is a natural process that needs to be mastered by everyone. You did well and next time, you can not wait so long, but do it right when you realize you have to pee "

"Next time?" Asked Seven, scared.

"Yes, certainly darling. You know that as a person, you have to go to the toilet at least 5 times a day or more, but you do not have to pee every single time, sometimes you have to do a number two."

"A number two? Explain that, please. "Seven asked even more anxiously than before.

Kathryn sighed heavily, oh dear, how should she explain this?

"Well, when you drink something, what you have drunk is purified in the kidneys. What the body needs is then added to the body and what it does not need comes out as a pee. It's the same with food. What the body needs in terms of nutrients, it takes and the rest is taken into your intestine as feces, and this you then have to dispose of in the toilet. This is called a number two. "

Seven took this information with concern and looked at Kathryn in disgust. No way would she ever want to do that. Not when it was not absolutely necessary, and Kathryn surely would not make it into a command, Seven thought silently.

"Come on, honey, lie down for a while and rest. I will go down to Rosi and see what's new. OK?"

Seven nodded her head and let Kathryn lead her to the bed and lay her down. She was glad that Kathryn wanted to go, as that meant she finally had time to think about everything. She was not about to sleep, she was not tired.

 

************

By means of reason, Seven went through the various possibilities that might have put her in this position.

After Seven went through the different possibilities in her head, she knew no more than she did to start with. Not knowing exactly what the right option was, she decided it was important to gather more information and view the whole thing as a kind of away mission.

Unfortunately, in the hospital, when she was still under the influence of the narcotic, she had shared too much information about Voyager and herself. She decided that further sharing should be avoided immediately, so that no important information fell into the wrong hands.

 

*************

While Seven continued to consider all the important details which had to be observed during an away mission, she did not notice that Kathryn had returned, so she was startled when a hand suddenly fell on her shoulder.

Seven winced, and Kathryn looked guilty.

"Sorry darling, I did not mean to scare you. I thought you were still asleep, but when I came in you were sitting on the bed, completely lost in your thoughts. Are you all right?"

Seven nodded her head.

"Well, I'm really pleased. Rosi has finished making lunch, she wants us to come down. She cooked one of your favorite dishes. "

Kathryn looked at Seven expectantly, but Seven was not hungry at the moment. However, since she had decided that she needed more information, but did not want to eat, she feverishly wondered how she could explain that she did not need food at the moment, but needed more information.

"Who is Rosi?" She asked instead, because she could not think of anything else.  
"Rosi is the good soul of our house. She is both the housekeeper and the cook. As a housekeeper, she keeps an eye on the maids Carmen and Ezra, leading them, and as a cook, she feeds the holiday guests, and occasionally ourselves, with delicious food. Are you coming now?"

Seven still did not want to go with her, but preferred to continue collecting information, however since she was too Borg to pretend, she sighed deeply.

"I do not need any food at this time," she answered honestly.

"Hm ..." Kathryn looked at her in surprise and was not really happy with Seven's answer.

"I think you should eat something however. You are still very weak on your feet and the best way to fix that is with proper, homemade food from Rosi. Besides, she has gone to a lot of trouble with it and it would be rude to refuse the food. So please come. "

Seven sighed deeply again "I will submit"

"Very good" Kathryn said, gently pulling Seven off the bed. She helped her put her pants back on, then put her arm around Seven's waist and helped her down to the dining room. There was already a table ready for them at the window with crockery and cutlery.

Kathryn led her to the table and then went into the kitchen. A short time later she came back with an elderly woman. Both came with plates and small bowls of fruit to the table. After the elderly woman had placed a plate and bowl down, she pulled Seven into a heartfelt hug.

"Annika, it's so nice that you're back. We were very worried about you. "

Seven broke away from the embrace and looked around shyly.

Kathryn said, "Rosi, you're scaring Seven. I told you earlier that she can not remember us and that she would like to be called Seven now. "

"Oh yes of course. I'm so sorry kid. "Then she smiled lovingly at Seven and rubbed her hand over Seven's shoulder.

"Thank you" Seven replied quietly.

Rosi and Kathryn continued to look at her, and they were silent for a moment.

"Okay, well I'll go and get the kids from school. Carmen is still in the kitchen if you need anything else. Otherwise, Kathy, you know where everything is. I'll be back in an hour. I hope the food tastes good. "With that, the older woman turned around and headed back towards the kitchen.

Seven curiously looked at the food on her plate. "What's that?"

"These are fried potatoes wrapped in an omelet. It is really delicious. And here in the bowl are strawberries from our garden. Come on, try them, they are one of your favorite foods. "Encouraged Kathryn.  
Sighing, Seven picked up her fork as Kathryn had, poked it into a fried potato and led it to her mouth. Then she tasted it carefully and had to admit that it tasted good.

Kathryn grinned at her. "Good, isn't it?"

Seven nodded her head and took several more pieces of fried potatoes before tasting the omelette, which tasted good as well. But then she set her fork aside.

"Darling, what's going on?" Kathryn asked worriedly.

"My need for food is fulfilled. I do not need any more food, "Seven said firmly.

"Darling, you just had two or three fried potatoes and just a mouthful of omelet. I cannot believe you are already full. You have not touched the strawberries yet. So, what's up?"

When Seven lowered her head and ignored Kathryn's question, Kathryn sighed deeply and frowned.

"Okay, if you do not like to keep eating, then I have to accept that. I'll ask Carmen to put your food back, so if you want to eat something later, we can warm it up again. OK?"

Seven raised her head, straightened her shoulders, got up from the table, pulled her borg mask onto her face and looked down at Kathryn.

"Acceptable," she said arrogantly in Borg mode and then turned and walked out of the room, her legs still shaky.

Kathryn looked speechlessly at Seven. The sudden change in Seven's posture and her almost robotlike remark deeply disturbed her. * What just happened? * Went through Kathryn's mind. 

Before Seven had left the room, Kathryn's mind gathered as she spoke, "Seven, please wait." She quickly walked over to Seven and put her hand on Seven's arm, to stop her.

"Seven, I'm sorry, I did not mean to patronize you. This whole situation is also new to me. Please explain what's going on. "Kathryn asked softly.

Seven looked at her emotionlessly, arrogantly raising her chin.

"I am not a child and I do not want to be treated like one. I wish to be alone now ", and with that she shook off Kathryn's hand and went further from the room.

"Seven please, I cannot let you walk alone, you do not know about the ranch. If you want to be alone, I'll show you where the terrace is, yes? "Kathryn asked worriedly.

To Kathryn's relief, Seven nodded her head and let herself be led to the terrace. There she remained uncertain and looked around while Kathryn left her alone.

 

************

While Seven stood alone on the terrace, she tried to bring order to her thoughts. Everything was so confusing. For one thing, she did not know where she was, how she had come here, or how long she had to stay here and secondly, she was no longer herself. It terrified her immensely that she had no implants, no nano probes, and also that she no longer had a Cortical node.

She felt alone, small and defenseless. No matter what she would experience here, she would have to cope with it without her superior Borg senses or strength.

There was a time on Voyager when she hated that Captain Janeway had determined the course of her life by separating her from the Collective. However, she had adapted, and after a while she even felt gratitude to the captain for freeing her from the Borg.

Despite the gratitude she felt and her desire to become human again, her implants and her Borg education had prevented her from becoming a full member of the Voyager crew. She was appreciated and could be very useful to Voyager, but overall, she was lonely and felt marginalized by the rest of the crew.

At the times when she felt most lonely, she had often wished that she had never met the Borg and been assimilated. She wished that she could just have been a normal woman, make friends with the crew and lead a normal life.

But now that all she had made of herself had disappeared, she no longer knew who she was or how she should deal with the situation. She felt so tired, powerless and missed her usual environment, as well as the crew of Voyager. Most of all, she missed the captain's leadership and friendship.

It did not help that Kathryn looked like the captain, because she was not her captain and did not behave that way either. She was just another stranger. Worse, she was not just a stranger, no, she was also a person who wanted her to become her wife Annika again. But how could she ever be that person, if she was only Seven of Nine?

How could she handle the fact that she was now apparently a normal woman? She still had her memories, her Borg knowledge, and her Borg education - they were not going to be shaken off easily.

Seven sighed deeply, not realizing that she was being watched.


	5. Cassie and Luke

Kathryn looked desperately out of the window onto the terrace where Seven was still standing. She was standing there for almost 2 hours, and slowly Kathryn became very worried about her.

*Damn, why doesn't she just sit down? She looks so tired and pale* thought Kathryn. *That's enough now. Enough is enough.*

She walked purposefully towards the door to the terrace and opened it to the outside. She then approached Seven.

"Seven, may I?" She asked carefully.

Seven looked at her in surprise, as if she was very far away in her thoughts and did not know where she was or who was standing in front of her. Only after a moment did she look directly at Kathryn.

"Kathryn, I apologize for my bad behavior earlier. Please forgive me. " said Seven softly.

Kathryn smiled at her, surprised at hearing an apology she had not expected.

"All is well, and already forgotten. The children have been back from school for a while. I talked to them and told them that you cannot remember us anymore. They were very worried about you and would like to say 'Hello' to you. Would you like to meet them?" Kathryn asked Seven.

Seven nodded her head and when Kathryn realized how weak Seven was on her legs, she wrapped her arm around her waist again and helped her back into the house. Then they climbed the stairs to their apartment together. Once there, Seven was completely exhausted and even paler than before on the terrace. Quickly, Kathryn sat Seven in the chair and got a glass of water for her.

"Please drink this" Kathryn said to her.

Seven gratefully accepted the glass of water and took a few small sips before returning the glass to Kathryn. "Thank you."

"I'll go get the kids, wait a minute okay?"

Kathryn then went to the children's area to pick up the kids. She had only been gone for a moment, but when she came back to the living room with the children, they found Seven asleep in the chair.

"Shhh, children, she has fallen asleep. We should not wake her up. You can say 'hello' afterwards."

The children nodded softly with their heads and then, although a little disappointed but still very considerate, went back to their rooms.

Kathryn looked at Seven anxiously and then pulled out a blanket and covered her with it gently. She sat down on the couch and watched Seven for a while.

When Rosi came up half an hour later, she found Kathryn still watching Seven softly.

Kathryn put her index finger on her mouth and gestured to Rosi to be quiet. Then the two women went into the bedroom to remove Kathryn's things, and bring them into the guest room.

Kathryn had decided to give Seven her freedom, so it would be wrong to stay in the same bedroom if Seven could not even remember that they were married, and thus lovers too.

While Kathryn and Rosi brought Kathryn's stuff into the guest room, Luke snuck into the living room to see Seven.

He sat down quietly on the arm of the chair and watched her.

Seven blinked her eyes after a few moments and looked at the little boy curiously.

"Hello" she said in a hoarse voice, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Hello" Luke said, still looking interested.

"What happened?" Seven asked in surprise and a little anxiously.

"You fell asleep. So we could not say hello to you earlier." Then he pulled two candies out of his trouser pocket and held one candy in Seven's direction while he unwrapped the other and put it in his mouth.

"Do you want it?" He asked.

"What is it?" Seven asked back.

Luke looked at the candy. "This is a caramel-flavored candy. Don't you know that?" He asked in astonishment.

"No, I've never had candy." Seven replied sheepishly.

"Well, then you should take it. It tastes good. Here, take it" Luke said to Seven.

Reluctantly, Seven picked up the candy and turned it back and forth, looking at it closely. Then she pushed it into her mouth and sucked on it. A big smile spread over her face after a short while as she discovered that it tasted very good.

"Good, isn't it?" Luke asked, grinning. He then took the blanket from Seven's lap and sat on the seat next to Seven. He snuggled up to her and covered them both with the blanket again.

In the meantime, he chattered to himself and told Seven where he had gotten the candy from, what his favorite variety was and what candy he would buy with his pocket money, which he would get at the end of the week.

Seven listened with interest and was amazed that she was feeling well for the first time since she was here at the ranch.

"Try this candy here. It tastes like licorice. I don't like it so much, but maybe you will like it?"

Seven picked up the candy and put it in her mouth. She soon found out that she did not like the flavor. Luke thought it was funny how she could twist her face, and he giggled loudly.

A short time later, a girl stood in front of them and looked at them both curiously.

Luke looked up at his sister, "This is Cassie, my sister."

Seven looked up at her and kindly said "Hello"

"Hello, what are you doing?" Cassie asked.

"We are eating candy, would you like some too?" Luke replied.

"No, you know we should not eat so many sweets before dinner." Cassie reminded him.

But Luke just rolled his eyes. "But when should I eat sweets? Before breakfast I'm not allowed to eat them, I can't even eat them at school. Before and after lunch we can't either. So the only time which remains is in the afternoon" he replied logically.

While Luke and Cassie discussed with each other when to eat sweets and when not to, Seven had taken her liquorice candy out of her mouth and held it awkwardly in her hand.

When Cassie saw the candy in Seven's hand, she grimaced in disgust. "Do you not want the candy?" She asked.

"No, it tastes terrible" Seven replied in disgust.

"Give it to me, I'll throw it in the bin for you" Cassie offered helpfully.

Seven smiled gratefully, said "thank you" and gave Cassie the disgusting sweet.

Cassie immediately stormed to the bin and disposed of it. Then she washed her hands and came back to Seven and Luke with a cloth.

"You can wipe your sticky hand with this" she told Seven.

"Thank you" Seven said gratefully, smiling at Cassie.

Luke rolled his eyes and groaned loudly, said "Girl" and shook his head. Then he lifted the blanket and got up from the chair. "I'm going to go and play with my cars, see you later."

Then he went to his room and left Seven and Cassie alone. Both looked at each other and Cassie pulled her shoulders up and then dropped them again.

"Would you like to see my Barbie collection?" She asked Seven after a brief silence between them.

"What's a Barbie collection?" Seven asked curiously.

"Barbies are dolls, you can play with them. Come on, I'll show them to you." Cassie took Seven's hand in her small hand and pulled her up from the chair. Then she put her index finger on her mouth and motioned Seven to follow her quietly. Still shaky, Seven carefully followed Cassie to her room.

As soon as she stood in the doorway to Cassie's room, she was amazed. Cassie's room was painted in pink and had many interesting things that Seven had never seen before, nor did she know what they were there for.  
Cassie pulled Seven into her room and then closed the door. She led Seven to her bed and let her sit on it. As soon as Seven was sitting down, Cassie picked up the various Barbie dolls and showed them to Seven, explaining who they were, what they could do, what they liked best, and what they could play with. All the while, Seven listened intently and looked at each Barbie doll curiously.

She now also understood why some crewmembers called her "Borg Barbie" when they thought Seven could not hear them.

All Barbie dolls, like herself, had big breasts, a narrow waist, and long legs as a common feature. If Seven wore her organic suit, she would look very much like Barbie.

 

**********

When Rosi and Kathryn finished moving Kathryn's belongings into the guest room, both women went into the living room quietly, so as not to wake Seven. But when they got there, Kathryn realized in alarm that Seven was no longer asleep in her chair.

"We have to find her. Please check downstairs and I'll look upstairs to see if she's anywhere there." Kathryn asked Rosi anxiously. She was scared, after all, Seven did not know the ranch.

Rosi nodded her head and went downstairs, while Kathryn looked through the rooms upstairs in their apartment. She started with Luke's room, but he was engrossed in his play, then she looked in the bathroom, but this was empty too. As a last resort, she looked into Cassie's room and stood in astonishment in the doorway when she saw Seven and Cassie playing with the Barbies.

Cassie looked up after a moment and smiled at Kathryn.

"Hello darling, what are you doing?" She asked Cassie.

"We are playing" the girl answered shortly.

Kathryn turned to Seven. "I've been looking for you, Seven. Are you all right?"

Seven looked at her and nodded her head. "Fine, then all's well. I'll make dinner" Kathryn continued.

Seven immediately looked at her in confusion, "I do not need food at this time"

Kathryn frowned. "Well, as soon as the food is ready, you'll probably be hungry. Don't worry, I'll make something uncomplicated." Kathryn then turned and walked to the kitchen.

After a while, Rosi returned to the apartment a bit out of breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't find her"

"Oh, don't worry, I found Seven with Cassie in her room. Cassie got her Barbie collection out. It seems that she has got Seven hooked to it. But thanks for helping with the search."

"Oh, no problem. I'll go home, see you tomorrow", Rosi said before turning around and leaving the apartment.


	6. Dinner and the Evening

Kathryn sighed deeply and tried to gather herself. She took pots from the cupboard and boiled water. She wanted to make the children's favorite meal, pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs. After about half an hour, she finished the meal and set it on the dining table. She then quickly set the table before calling Seven and the kids to eat.

"What are we having?" Luke was the first to storm out of his room.

"Pasta with tomato sauce"

"Okay, cool!" Luke exclaimed enthusiastically before sitting down at his usual place at the table.

"Luke?", "Yes", "Did you remember to wash your hands?" Kathryn asked gently.

Grumbling, Luke stood up and ran to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Cassie and Seven came into the living room. Cassie pulled Seven by the arm and showed her where to sit.

Unsure, Seven sat down at the table and looked closely at the bowl of pasta. She had never seen such food before, and she wondered if she should mention that she did not need any food at the moment?

As soon as Luke came back from the bathroom and sat down in his seat, Kathryn began to load the children's plates full of pasta. The children then served themselves tomato sauce.

Seven watched them while Kathryn also filled Seven's own plate with pasta.

"Darling, do you want tomato sauce too?" Kathryn asked her carefully.

Seven thought for a moment and decided, "Yes, that would be acceptable."

After watching the kids mixing the pasta with the tomato sauce, and then poking their forks into the pasta and leading them to their mouths, Seven copied them.

The first bite surprised Seven very much because she did not expect the food to taste good, but against all her expectations, it tasted very good. So she took another 2-3 bites. She then, however, put her fork aside, having become completely full.

Kathryn frowned at her. "Alright darling?"

"Yes, but it is not necessary for me to continue eating" explained Seven in full Borg mode.

Kathryn and the children looked at her in surprise, but then continued quietly. Kathryn did not want what happened at lunch to be repeated, and the children were also too hungry to be disturbed while eating.

Seven continued to watch the children eating and marvelled at how much these little people could stuff into their mouths. Kathryn occasionally glanced in Seven's direction, worried about her lack of appetite.

After Kathryn and the children had finished eating, the children carefully put the dishes into a piece of apparatus that Seven did not know. She assumed it was a recycler, similar to the one on Voyager.

"Seven, would you like to come and play with me again?" Cassie asked after the kids had finished clearing.

But before she could answer, Kathryn jumped in. "No honey, I think Seven should get some rest and you should get ready for bed. But first, I want to check your homework."

Cassie and Luke grumbled about having to go to bed, but did what Kathryn wanted them to do. First, they picked up their homework and then set off for the bathroom to get undressed and put on their pyjamas.

Kathryn helped Seven onto the couch and covered her with a blanket. She then took the children's homework and checked it carefully.

Seven watched her and found that Kathryn had many things in common with her captain. She frowned as much as the captain did when she spotted something she did not like or something which was wrong. She had the same concentrated expression on her face, and her posture was similar to that of the captain. The only thing missing was the command mask the captain maintained whilst on duty.

Seven suddenly began to miss her captain. The captain would know how best to deal with this situation, or how she could get home.

Seven sighed heavily, and when Kathryn heard her, she looked anxiously at Seven. 

"Everything okay?" Kathryn asked worriedly.

"Yes, I am working in acceptable parameters" answered Seven in Borg mode.

"Hmm ... I don't know what that means, but your sighing just sounded as if something was upsetting you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I do not want to disturb your work and there is nothing which upsets me," Seven replied stubbornly.

"Well, you are not disturbing me, I'm done with checking the homework. And the kids are not ready for bed yet, so we still have time to talk" Kathryn replied softly.

Seven lowered her head "It's nothing" she answered softly.

"Okay, but if something bothers you or upsets you, please come to me and talk to me. Okay?"

"Acceptable"

"Good" Kathryn answered sadly and worriedly. It was obvious to her that Seven was a bit upset or disturbed. But for now she had to accept that Seven did not want to talk about it.

So Kathryn sat down in a chair and turned on the TV.

They both watched a programme and Kathryn explained a part of it every now and then if Seven did not understand. When the children were ready for bed, Kathryn took them to bed and read them a story.

Meanwhile, Seven kept watching television and eventually fell asleep, exhausted.

**"Regeneration cycle complete"** announced Voyager's computer voice

Seven opened her eyes in fright and looked around anxiously, but what she saw was only Cargo Bay 2, her usual environment. Uncertain, she stepped out of her alcove and surveyed the bay again. Relieved, she took a deep breath and then shook her head. Everything was just a dream. The doctor had told her, when he had suggested that she should try to sleep, that dreams could arise from sleeping normally.

*But how could she have a dream during a regeneration cycle?* Seven wondered. She decided to talk to the doctor at the next opportunity.

She then walked over to her work console and read the latest analysis she had initiated before regeneration. A short time later, she returned to Astrometrics.

Today, she had planned to do several scans of some of the planets that existed in the nearest star system, and to search for planets where Voyager could replenish its supplies. Mr. Neelix already had a long list of things and food he desperately needed.

When Seven was working in Astrometrics at her workstation and becoming engrossed in her work, she did not notice how she slowly began to relax, and her strange dream slowly faded.

Seven wanted to be done with the scans and analysis in order to present the report later in the staff meeting of senior officers.

Suddenly, however, and without warning, she noticed a hand on her shoulder and she was shaken gently, but firmly, awake.

"Darling, wake up." Kathryn called softly. Seven opened her eyes sleepily. Disoriented, she looked into Kathryn's eyes and did not know where she was or what was going on.

"Come on, I'll take you to the bedroom, where you can sleep much better than here in the armchair."

Seven looked at Kathryn, disturbed. She was still in Astrometrics, how could she be here again?  
Her thoughts flickered, and confusion and panic spread through her. Everything was chaotic and foggy.

As Kathryn tried to help her out of the chair, Seven looked at her in horror and backed away.

"No, do not touch me. This is not real. This is just a dream. This is not reality. Computer, finish regeneration cycle!" Seven shouted in confusion. But nothing happened.

Kathryn looked worried and wanted to reassure her, but Seven jumped up from the chair and moved away from her, frightened.

"No, please do not." Seven said desperately and looked for a way to escape. Her breathing was ragged and she had difficulty getting enough air into her lungs. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest

"Darling, please listen ..." Kathryn continued, trying to get through to Seven, but Seven backed away and huddled between the couch and the other chair, trying to hide between them both. She sank to the floor and pulled her legs protectively against her torso, holding them in fear.

"This is just a dream, it is not reality." She mumbled like a mantra to herself. She repeated her mantra again and again.

It shattered Kathryn's heart to see her wife so scared and confused. She herself also felt so unspeakably helpless in this moment.

"Darling, please look at me. I put the kids to bed and when I came back, you had fallen asleep in the armchair. I woke you because I wanted to take you to the bedroom so you could lie down there and sleep properly. You had a dream, but this is the reality. Please trust me. I will not hurt you, you do not have to be afraid of me. It is me, Kathryn. Please trust me?"

Seven looked at Kathryn desperately, she did not know what was true and what was a dream. She was just in Astrometrics and a moment later she was here, at the ranch. What was real and what was not? These thoughts circled through her mind and she could not create order.

Exhausted and desperate, Kathryn sat down on the carpet near Seven and leaned against the couch. She had no idea how to convince Seven that this was not a dream, but reality. The only thing she could do was to be there for her. Not leaving her alone, she hoped that Seven would calm down and then follow her request to go to the bedroom to sleep.

Both women sat entangled in their respective thoughts for a while in the living room. Kathryn closed her eyes again and again after a while and she had trouble keeping herself awake.

"Darling, let's go to the bedroom and put you to bed, you need to rest and need sleep. And I also need a little sleep. Please let me help you." Said Kathryn to Seven, insistently.

By now, Seven had calmed down a little. Her breathing was back to normal and her heart was not beating like mad anymore. Her thoughts were not too confused anymore either, so she could now better evaluate the situation and yes, maybe Kathryn was right, it would be better to sleep for a bit.

So Seven nodded slightly as Kathryn asked her to go to the bedroom.

Relieved, Kathryn took a deep breath and rose from the carpet. Her bones cracked uncomfortably and she mentally noted that she was getting too old to sit on the floor for long periods of time.

"Well, come on." she handed Seven her hand and helped her. Both women then went to the bedroom and Kathryn gave Seven a set of pyjamas, wished her a good night and went into the guest room.

Kathryn fervently hoped that the next day would be better than this day. Anymore of these stressful days and she would really go crazy.

In the guest room she lay down on the bed and started to cry. She missed her wife and the time before the accident terribly. Completely tear-sodden and exhausted, she fell into a restless sleep.


	7. The First Night

After Seven put on the pyjamas, she stared at the bed, wondering if she should lie down. On the one hand, she was very tired, but on the other, she had never slept in a bed. She did not know if she could deal with this new experience adequately.

She had slept in bed last night in the hospital, but she had been given a sleeping pill so she fell asleep without even realizing it. In the morning she had woken up and been very disoriented. She did not like that feeling. She did not like not knowing where she was or what would happen.

But the exhaustion tugged at her more and more, so she decided to lie down on the bed and see what would happen.

Seven slipped under the covers and rested her head on the pillow. Without realizing it, seconds later her eyes closed and exhausted, she fell asleep.

************************

_**Annika sat in her room playing with her favorite doll. Her parents were on the bridge analyzing the latest data on the Borg. Annika should actually have been doing her homework, but she did not understand some of the tasks she had been set. She needed her parents' help, but they were too busy. So she had stopped and had began to play. She was engrossed in her game for several hours when suddenly loud noises stopped her from playing. Fearful, she hid under the work console in her room, and after a few seconds, Borg drones materialized in front of her and took her from her hiding place. Annika was terrified, her heart pounded wildly in her chest and she started screaming loudly and calling for help from her parents.** _

********************************

Kathryn awoke with a start from her own dream. At first she did not know what she had woken up, but then she heard Seven's loud cry for help from the bedroom. Quickly, she put on her night robe and ran into Seven's bedroom.

In the bedroom, she found Seven sitting up in bed, screaming from her open mouth. She quickly went to her and wrapped her arms around her. Seven tried to fight back at first, but Kathryn responded reassuringly and continued to hold her gently.

"Shhh, shhh Darling, everything is okay, it was just a bad dream. I am here, nothing can happen to you here"

After a few minutes of disorientation, Seven clung to Kathryn and let her hold her and calm her. Exhausted, she sunk into the embrace. Her heart pounded wildly and her thoughts raced.

Kathryn was startled when Seven clung to her for help, so she kept calming Seven down.

Only after a long time did Seven seem to calm down enough to breathe calmly in Kathryn's embrace, and appear to relax. Kathryn looked down at Seven's face and saw in surprise that Seven had fallen asleep on her shoulder again.

Carefully, Kathryn sat back against the head of the bed, holding Seven protectively in her arms and rocking her gently.

A short time later, Kathryn fell asleep again.


	8. The Morning After

Kathryn woke first, and was initially confused about where she was, but quickly remembered what had happened during the night. She looked down at Seven, who still had her head on her chest and was still asleep. Kathryn smiled at the sight of her. She really missed her wife, but to lie here in their shared bed and hold her wife like that gave her hope that everything would be all right.

Gently she kissed her wife on the head and pulled her a little closer to her body, holding her affectionately.

A few moments later, Seven's eyes fluttered open and she lifted her head and looked around, confused. When she realized where she was and who held her, she sat up, alarmed, and backed away from Kathryn.

Kathryn tried not to show that this behavior hurt her deeply, and tried to put a warm smile on her face. "Good morning darling" she said softly.

Seven continued to stare at her, trying to figure out how to handle this situation.

Kathryn noticed Seven's discomfort and tried to defuse the tense situation.

"You had a nightmare last night, so I came to reassure you. We fell asleep together. I'm sorry if that has made you uncomfortable" she said hoarsely to Seven.

Seven straightened her shoulders, arrogantly raised her chin and pulled on her borg mask. "I apologize for the inconvenience I caused you" she replied softly.

Kathryn shook her head. "No, you do not have to apologize. Everything is okay."

Then she got up and walked over to the bedroom door. "Would you like a shower while I wake up the children and prepare breakfast?"

Seven nodded her head and got up too.

"Good, I'll put your towels in the bathroom. Go ahead, I'll be right in." Kathryn said to her.

She then headed in the direction of the children's quarters and knocked softly on Cassie's door first, poking her head in until she disappeared into the girls' room.

Seven could hear her mutter softly as she headed for the bathroom. Once there, she saw the hated toilet, but decided that she did not have to use it. Then she took off her pyjamas and climbed naked in the shower. To her annoyance, however, she realized that she had no idea how to use it, as it was not a sonic shower and there was no computer to turn it on.

Frustrated, Seven got out of the shower stall and was about to call Kathryn when Kathryn put her head around the bathroom door at the same time.

Kathryn immediately saw Seven standing naked. Normally, she would not have minded, after all, she had seen her wife naked a thousand times before, but this time it was different. She quickly realized that she was blushing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in on you" she murmured softly, pulling her head back and quickly closing the bathroom door.

But Seven did not understand Kathryn's behavior and walked quickly towards the door and pulled it open.

"I need your help, please stay!" She called to Kathryn, who had already turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Kathryn turned around in surprise and looked at Seven, who was still standing naked in the doorway of the bathroom.

Kathryn swallowed, twice, "I'll stay if you want. How can I help you?"

"I ... I do not know how to use the shower" Seven replied sheepishly, lowering her head. It was unpleasant that she knew so little.

Kathryn stepped towards her. She put her hand under Seven's chin and picked it up, "No reason to be sad, I'll show you. Come over."

 

Then she took Seven's hand and led her to the shower, pointing at the knobs in the shower.

"This one" she pointed to the red and blue dotted knob "is here to let you adjust the heat of the water to how you would like it. And this one" she continued, pointing to the knob right next to it, "is here to adjust how much water you want to come out of the shower head. "Kathryn finished.

She then gave Seven a washcloth, "You'll need this"

Seven looked at the little cloth and took it out of Kathryn's hand, then turned it back and forth, trying to figure out what it was for.

"What's this? What do I do with it?" She asked Kathryn, curiously.

Kathryn looked at her in amazement, "This is a washcloth, so you can wash your body"

"How?" Seven asked.

"Oh, okay. Well, first you put yourself in the shower and set the knobs the way you would like the water to be. You then let the water cover you, and taking the washcloth, you let it get wet as well.

Then you turn off the water. Next, you take the soap, spread a small amount of it on the washcloth and then rub your body with it. After all the parts of your body are covered with soap, you switch the water back on and wash the soap off again. Okay?" Kathryn asked.

Seven nodded her head and stepped into the shower. She did as Kathryn had told her.

Meanwhile, Kathryn left the bathroom and looked to see how far the children had got getting up. Both were still sleepy, and remained in their beds, not wanting to get up yet. Kathryn sighed deeply and then decided to call down to the kitchen and ask Rosi for help, so that she could take care of Seven.

After Rosi had agreed to come upstairs and finish getting the kids ready for the day, Kathryn returned to the bathroom to see how far Seven was with her shower.

She was relieved to see that Seven was almost done, so she took a big towel, and wrapped Seven in it after she had stepped out of the shower. She then rubbed Seven dry, and smiled lovingly at her.

Seven let herself be dried easily by Kathryn, enjoying the loving treatment.

When Seven was dry, Kathryn took a robe and asked Seven to put it on. She then took a strange-looking device from a drawer and handed it to Seven.

Seven looked curiously at the strange device and then looked questioningly at Kathryn. "What is this? Please explain it to me." Said Seven in her usual Borg tone.

Kathryn sighed softly "This is a hairdryer. Look, this is the plug that needs to be inserted into the socket to allow the hairdryer to get power, and to work." Kathryn pushed the plug into the wall socket and pressed a button on the hairdryer. The device immediately began to hum loudly, and warm air came out of it.

Seven watched in fascination. Then Kathryn turned off the hair dryer again "This will dry your hair now, okay?" She asked carefully.

Seven nodded her head. Kathryn turned on the hairdryer again and pointed it at Seven. However, since Seven was a little taller than she was, she could not get it close enough to her hair, so she turned it off.

Seven looked at her in surprise, but Kathryn motioned Seven to sit on the edge of the bathtub. Seven followed the request and sat obediently on the edge of the tub. Then Kathryn switched the hairdryer back on and combed her fingers through Seven's silky, blonde hair, slowly allowing the hairdryer to dry it.

"Well, now your hair is dry again, let's return to the bedroom and look for some clothes. The kids can then go to the bathroom and wash themselves as well." She then took Seven's hand, gently leading her out of the bathroom and towards the bedroom.

When in the bedroom, Kathryn opened a cupboard door and showed Seven the contents. 

"What would you like to wear today?" She asked Seven. Seven, however, looked uncertainly at the many clothes and did not know how to decide. On Voyager, she had only 4 organic suits to choose between every day.

That was usually very easy. But this large cupboard, with its many compartments full of clothes, was quite a challenge for her. She looked helplessly at Kathryn and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, sit down on the bed will you, and I'll get your favorite things out."

Seven nodded her head again and sat on the bed while Kathryn pulled out a pair of panties, a bra, a pair of pants, a shirt, and some socks from the closet, laying them on Seven's bed.

"Do you need help getting dressed?" Kathryn asked.

"No, I can complete this task" Seven replied in Borg mode, taking the panties and pulling them on.

"Good, but if you need help, call me, okay?"

"Acceptable" Seven replied as she put on her bra, and was very happy that she had learned from yesterday how to handle the cups.

Kathryn left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. There she met Rosi. She gave her a loving hug and a good morning kiss on the cheek "Thank you for coming up and helping me with the children, you are such a sweetheart."

"Oh, no problem, you know I like to do it. The little ones are like the grandchildren I never had" Rosi replied, smiling.

"How is Annika?" She asked worriedly.

Kathryn sighed deeply and turned away from Rosi. She did not want Rosi to watch as tears came into her eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks

"It's difficult. I don't know if I will get Annika back" Kathryn replied, dejectedly.

Rosi turned Kathryn around and looked her into her eyes. "Hey, don't cry, you'll be fine, Kathy. You are not alone, we are all here for you and Annika. You do not have to handle everything by yourself. You will soon see that everything will be okay again. I know with certainty that life goes on. It may not be the same as it was before, but it will continue. So, chin up, and do not lose hope." She then took Kathryn in her arms and held her close.

Neither of the women had noticed that Seven had been standing nearby for a while, and had heard the conversation. Seven did not want to listen or spy. Her captain had forbidden her from doing that, telling her that it was rude.

But after she had gotten herself dressed, she had headed for the kitchen and inadvertently heard the conversation between the two women. What she heard made her uncomfortable and so she turned quietly, wanting to go back to the bedroom.

When Seven turned however, Cassie had just started to run towards her.

"Good morning" Cassie said cheerfully to Seven, startling Kathryn and Rosi. Both women turned to see Cassie and Seven standing in front of them. Kathryn quickly wiped the tears off her face with her hands and put on a happy face. Both women cheerfully greeted them.

But since Seven had heard the conversation and had seen the tears on Kathryn's cheeks, Kathryn's happy face could not fool her. Seven, therefore, simply nodded her head, turning to flee back to the bedroom.

But before she could leave the room, Kathryn hurried towards Seven and laid her hand on her arm.

"Seven, what do you want to eat for breakfast?" She asked Seven, hoping that Seven would stay and would eat something.

Seven looked at her carefully and thought about what she should do. She was not hungry and did not need food. She had overheard an unpleasant conversation and felt bad about it. She wanted to be alone, so that she could think about everything.

"I do not need food at this time" Seven replied quietly after what felt like an eternity.

Kathryn's expression faded and her eyes became sad. She'd heard that phrase too often in the last 24 hours, and was getting tired of it. Everyone could see that Seven needed food. But the doctor had told her to let her wife set the pace herself. This would be the best way to deal with the situation, and would cause the least possible stress for Annika / Seven.

So she took her hand from Seven's arm, gave her a friendly smile and said "Okay". She then walked over to Rosi, took 4 plates from the cupboard and put them on the breakfast table while Rosi finished toast for the kids.

Seven looked ashamed for a moment as the hustle and bustle in the kitchen continued, and turning around, she walked back to the the bedroom. There she lay down on the bed and let the tears that had gathered in her eyes fall.

She felt terrible, desperate, and very lonely. She missed Voyager, the crew, the captain, and her daily routine so much.

When Seven had retreated to the bedroom, Rosi and Kathryn looked at each other meaningfully. "Do you see? I don't know what to do" Kathryn said desperately. Rosi squeezed her arm encouragingly and murmured softly, "It'll be all right. I'll see to her, okay?"

Kathryn nodded her head gratefully and returned to breakfasting.


	9. Rosi

Rosi knocked on the bedroom door, but when Seven did not respond to her knock, she quietly opened the door and looked into the room. There she saw Seven lying on the bed, crying.

She quickly went to her, put her hand on Seven's back and stroked it gently. "Shhh, darling, everything will be okay again soon. Let it out, then you'll feel better." She murmured reassuringly to Seven.

At first, Seven tensed at her touch, but she gradually relaxed and listened to Rosi as she spoke quiet, comforting words to her.

After a few minutes, the tears stopped running down Seven's cheeks and her breathing returned to normal. She sat up and looked at Rosi with tear-stained eyes. Rosi gave her a tissue, but Seven had no idea what to do with it.

"What's this? What do you do with it? Explain it to me" Seven asked in a tense voice.

"Oh, that's how you can wipe the tears from your cheeks, and how you can blow your nose. Try it." Encouraged Rosi.

Seven took a closer look at the little white cloth and then wiped her cheeks with it. She then held it to her nose and looked questioningly at Rosi.

"No, you have to unfold the tissue, then you hold it to your nose and blow into it." Rosi took a tissue for herself and showed Seven how to do it.

Seven frowned at her, but did as Rosi had shown her. She held the tissue to her nose, but the procedure of how to blow was beyond her comprehension.

"Okay, now you have to block one nostril and blow air through the other. Then the snot will come out of your nose. After that, you change nostrils. Now try it, it's not so hard." Rosi encouraged Seven.

Seven did exactly as Rosi had told her and was surprised when she looked at the tissue afterwards and actually found some slime in it.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, that's snot, it makes you cry and it has to come out of your nose again, otherwise you cannot breathe so well. OK?"

Seven thought about it and then nodded her head. Then she held the tissue back to her nose and pressed the other nostril closed. She then blew air through her free nostril and even more "snot" arrived in the tissue.

"Better?" Rosi asked.

"Yes, thank you for your help." Seven said, helplessly holding the tissue in her hand and watching her "snot" in it.

"Come, give it to me, I will throw it in the bin" Rosi took the tissue, crumpled it up and then threw it in the bin that stood in the corner. Then she sat down on the bed again next to Seven and looked at her questioningly.

"So, what's up kid, why so many tears? Would you like to tell me?" Rosi asked her gently.

Seven looked at her and wondered if she could speak freely with this friendly, but alien woman. She then decided to just do it, what did she have to lose? After all, she had already lost everything she knew, along with herself. She was no longer Borg, had no Borg implants, neither did she know how she got here or how she could return to her life on Voyager.

"I overheard the conversation between yourself and Kathryn. I did not eavesdrop. I feel uncomfortable knowing that I make Kathryn unhappy with my presence, and I... "

Seven stopped and considered how to proceed.

But Rosi patted her hand, saying "Don't worry kid, Kathy is tough, she'll be fine. Besides, she is not alone, we are here for her and also for you. So no matter what bothers you, or makes you unhappy, do not be afraid, just talk to us and tell us what's going on. We are not clairvoyants or mind readers. You speaking to us is the only way we will be able to help you, okay? "

Seven thought about it and nodded her head.

"All right, come on, let's see what's left of breakfast. In my opinion, you should start each day with a hearty breakfast." And with that, Rosi took Seven's hand in hers and led her away from the bed.

They both returned to the kitchen.


	10. The Conversation

"Kids, you get ready now and in 20 minutes, come downstairs. Terry will drive you to school. I'll go down to the kitchen and see if breakfast is ready for our holiday guests, and you two" Rosi said, pointing to Seven and Kathryn. 

“You're going to sit down now, and chat." Rosi then turned around and headed down to the kitchen.

The children quickly took their packed lunches and put them in their school bags. They then ran quickly to the bathroom to brush their teeth.

Meanwhile, Kathryn and Seven looked embarrassed. Kathryn sighed deeply and then asked, "What's wrong? What do we have to talk about?"

Seven bowed her head and answered softly "I overheard the conversation between you and Rosi earlier. I didn't eavesdrop. I ... "

But Seven did not continue her explanation because Kathryn had started to lower herself exhaustedly onto a chair, hiding her head in her hands, and sniffing softly. Seven looked at her guiltily and was about to apologize when Kathryn raised her head again and looked at Seven.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to hear that. I just miss Annika so much and I just want to make everything alright again. I thought that if I brought you home, everything would be okay. I'm very impatient, I'm sorry. Dr. Mayer and Dr. Behrend told me that it might take time, and that your memories may never even come back. That you would never be my Annika again. I'm sorry, please believe me."

Kathryn looked pleadingly at Seven and Seven tried to process this information. After several quiet moments between the two, Seven answered quietly and in Borg mode.

"I am Seven of Nine, I cannot be or become your Annika. I have no memories of living with you on this ranch. My memories are those of Seven of Nine. I am Borg and I will always remain Borg. Even though I will adapt to humanity, I am nevertheless a former Borg drone. Your attempt to turn me into Annika will fail."

Kathryn swallowed several times at hearing this, and then many tears began to roll down her cheeks. It was useless to hide them from Seven. Kathryn did not care to do so at that moment either. She stared at Seven, speechless.

Seven looked around the kitchen and found a packet of tissues on the counter. She pulled one out and handed it to Kathryn.

As Kathryn wiped her tears away with the tissue, Seven stood silently in the kitchen, watching her.

When the kids were ready for school and had come back into the kitchen, they immediately felt the tense atmosphere. However, having little time to ponder, they said goodbye to Kathryn and Seven, and then disappeared down the stairs.

Kathryn recovered enough to get back up from the chair and begin to remove the remains of breakfast. Seven hurried towards her and helped her put the dishes in the dishwasher.

Kathryn looked thankfully at Seven "Thank you for helping me, but I can do it alone. How about you go downstairs and get something to eat in the dining room?"

"I am Borg, I do not need food at this time" Seven replied stubbornly.

Kathryn burst with impatience, "Well, you may think that you are Borg, but I'm sure you're only human. So, I think not. I'm telling you to go downstairs, find something to eat and then eat it. Are we clear?"

"Yes" Seven replied, but she was not ready to give up yet. "But you cannot order me to do what I do not wish to do. I only follow the orders of Captain Kathryn Janeway. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Your command, therefore, is invalid. I will not follow it." 

Seven then turned around and was about to leave the kitchen when a rumble in her stomach stopped her. Confused, she stopped and looked down at her stomach in fear.

"Why is my stomach making such sounds?" She asked Kathryn anxiously.

Kathryn grinned widely, "Well, your stomach is making those sounds to tell you that it needs food. The sounds will not stop until you eat something" she said triumphantly.

Seven looked at her in astonishment and then her eyes darkened. 

"I will not submit. My stomach can make as many sounds as it wants, it is irrelevant. I am Borg, Borg do not need food but regeneration."

Kathryn walked up to Seven and closed her hands around Seven's arms. She was struggling to keep her temper as she tried to get Seven under her control. She wanted to shake her and put some sense into her stubborn head.

"What are you trying to do? Do you want to starve yourself to death?" She asked Seven seriously.

"No" Seven replied irritably, "I will not die just because I am not taking in food. I am Borg. Borg do not require food." As she spoke, small tears arose slowly in her eyes and started to run down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with her hands.

"What are you so afraid of? Why are you doing this? Tell me, talk to me. Please!" Kathryn pleaded desperately to Seven.

Seven wanted to free herself from Kathryn's grip and leave the room, but she was too weak and Kathryn continued to hold her, staring at her questioningly and pleadingly.

"Please tell me! I would like to understand you, and to help you."

"I ... I am Borg, we do not need food, we do not need sleep, we do not need to use the toilet, I .... I do not want to have to do a number two" burst from Seven's lips.

Kathryn let go of Seven in surprise and looked at her. 

"That's it? That's why you don't want to eat anything, because you don't want to go to the bathroom?" She asked incredulously.

Seven shook her head in embarrassment. Kathryn slapped her hand on her forehead, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh my god, Seven this is total crap. Using the toilet is one thing we all must do several times a day and it's not something that should scare us. By using the toilet, your body is cleansed of what it does not need in terms of nutrients. It really is not so bad. Please, look at me…"

Kathryn waited until Seven raised her head and looked at her. 

"You are not alone. I will support you, no matter what. And you do not have to be afraid of the toilet. Do you trust me?"

Seven frowned at Kathryn.

"I am Borg. Borg do not require the use of toilets. My nanoprobes and my abdominal implant regulate my bodily fluids. I need regeneration" said Seven helplessly, trembling in despair. She was unwilling to use the toilet voluntarily. No way. Under no circumstances. She was Borg.

Kathryn hated to see Seven so desperate. She pulled Seven into her arms and patted her back gently, trying to calm her down.

"Shhh, everything will be okay. Please trust me. You will not feel any pain. I promise you." Kathryn said softly.

Seven continued to cry in Kathryn's arms, feeling miserable and helpless.

She was Borg. Borg did not cry. Borg are strong and feel nothing. But where did all this emotion and despair come from then? Seven had tried to bring order to her mind and to her emotions. However, everything was so confusing. She yearned endlessly for her alcove, her retreat from the outside world, and she missed her nanoprobes and her implants, which regulated all of her bodily functions.


	11. Life Begins

After an eternity, Seven calmed down enough to turn from Kathryn's embrace and look at her.

"I'm scared, but I'm Borg, I will adapt" she said seriously.

Kathryn smiled at her, "Yes, you will adapt, and I will help you. Together we can do it." She then pulled Seven again into a loving hug and kissed her cheek.

Seven smiled shyly at her and nodded her head.

*************

After the conversation, life became much easier for both Seven and Kathryn. Seven was happy to get to know the many small and big things which made up a normal life on a ranch, and to learn how to cope with them. And if she felt fear, doubt, or any bad feelings, then Kathryn, Rosi, and the kids were always there to help.

Kathryn realized quickly that Seven was extremely intelligent. Things that Seven did not know or did not know how to work could be explained to Seven, and she would immediately be able to handle them or to complete different activities. No one ever had to explain things twice.

Seven learnt how to horse ride, ski, swim, cycle, drive, cook and bake in the months that followed. But the most important thing she learned was to trust Kathryn when something scared her, or when she did not know how to cope or handle the various emotions that cropped up over the months.

The biggest emotion Seven felt was when she gradually fell more and more in love with Kathryn. At first, she didn't know why she always had a tingling sensation when Kathryn was near her, or when Kathryn kissed her on the cheek, laid her hand on Seven's arm or pulled her into a friendly hug. But she could identify the feeling, which made it incredibly beautiful and reassuring.

Seven trusted Rosi, and the older woman would smile broadly and knowingly at her. After all, she had already noticed how Seven and Kathryn danced around each other and occasionally simply stared at one another. In addition, Kathryn had also confided in Rosi and asked for her advice. It was very depressing for Rosi that Kathryn still felt bad on the one hand because she missed her wife Annika, but at the same time, she was attracted to Seven. For Rosi, there was only one piece of advice she could give Kathryn. "Grab the girl and get happy," she had said and Kathryn had looked at her in disbelief, replying that it was not so easy.

Rosi, however, had left no doubt in Kathryn's mind that there was only one way she could go. And so, Kathryn decided to tell Seven about her feelings for her, and Seven confessed her own feelings for Kathryn. So began the love between the two women, which grew into a more and more a beautiful relationship.

The months went on and without Seven realizing, she had spent more than a year on the ranch. She had not thought about Voyager for some time. Her life here and now was just too good to want to think about her other life on Voyager.

 

****************************

It was now autumn, but the temperature was still very mild. Kathryn had packed a picnic basket prepared by Rosi and invited Seven and the kids to the Jeep. She wanted to travel to a very special place with them. They had to drive for about half an hour before they were finally there.

The view revealed a dream landscape, with mountains and forests whose foliage glowed brightly as the sunbeams shone on them. In the meadow, the autumn flowers were in bloom and the wind gently stroked them, moving them almost tenderly. Kathryn took Seven's hand in hers, holding the picnic basket in the other hand. She then walked with Seven to a tree in the clearing and lay the picnic basket beneath it. The children came running after them and spread the picnic blanket. Kathryn emptied the basket and put the food on the blanket. After eating, the children grabbed their kites, let them rise in the wind and laughed happily. The children's laughter echoed over the autumn meadow and Seven and Kathryn looked at each other with love, cuddling together and watching their children's activities.

Seven closed her eyes happily and listened to the wind, the children's voices and the rhythmic throb of Kathryn's heart. Gently, she fell asleep.


	12. On Voyager

Seven was thrown by a fierce jolt and carried away from her happy moment. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked into the worried face of Captain Kathryn Janeway. Tears streamed down the captain's cheeks and she wiped them with one hand, holding Seven's hand gently with the other. She leaned over Seven and kissed her cheek lightly.

Seven tried to speak, but her throat felt dry, and raw. She had a strong desire, however, to talk to her captain.

With a rough, hoarse voice, Seven brought out a soft "Thank you". Her eyelids were so heavy and she had been terribly worried about speaking, but she had managed it. Finally, her eyes closed and she returned to the pleasant darkness.

All of a sudden, the sick bay medical equipment started to beep and the doctor quickly entered command codes into his work console. Then came a long beep and Captain Kathryn Janeway's tears ran down her cheeks without her paying them any attention.

The doctor switched off the medical devices attached to Seven's body and his face revealed infinite grief.

"We've lost her. Her injuries were too severe." he muttered softly to the captain, but the captain could only look at Seven, and her motionless body.

 

2 Weeks Earlier

 

Seven was seriously injured on an away mission. The doctor had immediately treated her and sent her back to her alcove to regenerate so that her nanoprobes could help with the healing process.

By activating the alcove, however, a virus that had slumbered unnoticed in Seven's systems was activated, and her nanoprobes, which were supposed to destroy the virus, turned instead against Seven and her body. Seven's own nanoprobes began attacking her implants and dissecting and destroying them piece by piece.

Several hours later, they found Seven lying half dead on the floor of Cargo Bay 2. She was immediately transported to sick bay and the doctor soon realised that the injuries caused to Seven by her nanoprobes were life-threatening. He had Seven transferred into a stasis chamber and frozen until he had found a treatment method to save Seven's life, but all treatments he tried using holodeck simulations had led to Seven's death. It was hopeless.

In a staff meeting, he told the captain and the senior officers that he could not help Seven. He told them that she would inevitably die as soon as she awoke from the stasis chamber. The captain and all attending senior officers were very upset at this news and immediately they began to devise plans and ideas regarding how Seven could still be saved. Every simulation, however, ended in the same result.

The captain could not and would not accept this. She did not want Seven to die so she asked for any unconventional suggestions to help Seven.

But there was nothing that could save Seven's life, so it was decided that Seven would be taken out of the stasis chamber.

The captain was with Seven the whole time, holding her hand. Commander Chakotay had taken over command of the bridge. The last time Seven's eyes fluttered, it broke the captain's heart and her command mask fell as tears rolled down her cheeks unhindered.

She had missed her chance to ever tell Seven how much she loved her, but she wanted now at least to breathe a last kiss on her cold, pale cheek, and continue to hold her hand.

This last moment burned deep into her heart, where Seven would live forever. That is what Captain Kathryn Janeway pledged in this moment.

 

The End


End file.
